What do you do when the client is the main roadblock to progress? This was the challenge I felt myself grappling with on a major project.

Join me as I revisit one of the most painful experiences of my account management journey and unravel the profound insights I learnt in this situation.  
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The Client

It was a high profile, multi-year transformation project for a major regional client. Multiple (senior) stakeholders were involved, the expectations and stakes were high and timelines extremely aggressive.

The client in question had been on the joint agency-client project steering team and witnessed the agency fail to deliver on major milestones several times. My team had underestimated the scale and scope of the project, leading to a difficult start. By the time this client was appointed as day-to-day project manager for the project, everyone on the project were exhausted and frustrated.

New to the organization, she grappled with an unfamiliar corporate culture and processes, hindering her efficiency. Compounding the challenge was her limited experience in managing complex projects of this magnitude. Additionally, her limited experience in managing such complex projects led to unclear requirements and multiple rounds of revisions, causing frustrations and delays.

Her indirect working style added time and new requirements for resources, leading to tensions within both teams. Some team members quit due to the challenging dynamics.

The Breaking Point

The pivotal moment came during a meeting with the key project sponsor, attended by the combined project steering committee. Prior to the meeting, the agency-client team believed we were aligned on the project update to be presented: we would launch the platform as planned, despite some concerns.

However, during the meeting, the client project manager conveyed a totally different point of view, she expressed discomfort with launching the project as per the agreed timeline, sparking a furious reaction and tirade from the project sponsor, leaving everyone shellshocked.

After the meeting, I reached out to her, and we had a lengthy conversation dissecting the events.

I recapped what we had as a team actually agreed to communicate to the project sponsor and how her colleagues' reactions mirrored my team's surprise at her statements. I asked her about the rationale behind her remarks. She admitted that despite acknowledging our progress, she harboured doubts about being able to launch the platform on time. I acknowledged her viewpoint while also providing background on where the project was at in the larger scheme of things, in terms of key dates and events we needed to meet from an optics perspective. I explained by taking the approach she did, she effectively disengaged both her own team and the agency team.

Our conversation provided me valuable insights into her perspective and apprehensions. I learnt that she actually felt an immense personal responsibility for the project and wanted to ensure it was being done right. She was putting in an enormous number of added hours on the project to the detriment of her physical and mental health. She too was extremely demoralized and feeling abandoned by both her own team and ours. Reflecting on the conversation later, I realised I had conveniently put many of her actions into a “The client is being stupid” box without really digging deeper into why she did what she did. Did things get better after this conversation?

Yes and no. The client began communicating more openly and directly, which made it easier for me to provide feedback when I felt she was unclear or unreasonable. I also started to share with her my observations on her organizational processes and how she could improve stakeholder engagement. As a result, she became more flexible and open to the team's suggestions. After a few months, she resigned, taking a career break. She was replaced by a seasoned project manager who successfully led the team to project launch.

Reflections

Writing this article was challenging, reminding me of my conflict aversion and tendency to negatively label clients. However, it also provided invaluable lessons:

#1 Don’t be afraid of conflict, it can be an opportunity to foster connection

Many people are uncomfortable with conflict, it is seen as something negative and stressful. But conflict is a natural part of human interaction. Conflict, though uncomfortable, presents an opportunity for connection and building intimacy in a relationship. Embracing conflict positively can lead to win-win outcomes and strengthen partnerships.

#2 Step into the other person’s shoes, it can totally change your perception and approach

By stepping into the other person’s shoes, you can gain a new perspective and potentially change your understanding of the situation. As Atticus Finch said in To Kill a Mockingbird, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view"

#3 Beware of an “us-against-them” mentality

Agency folk are particularly susceptible to an unconscious "us-against-them" mentality, when it comes to clients. Avoid jumping to negative assumptions or bias and instead ask reflective questions to understand the person/situation better.

Some helpful questions:

“What actually happened?”
“What am I feeling?” “Why do I feel that way?”
“What did the person/party say?”
“Why might they have responded the way that they did?

In conclusion, embracing conflict as an opportunity for understanding and collaboration, rather than an "us-against-them" situation, can lead to stronger partnerships and win-win outcomes. By asking reflective questions and seeking to understand the other person's perspective, we can foster connection and transparency.